2024 Utah Players of the Week: Park, Barrett, Vest, Bostock

Austin Park SS / RHP / Juab, UT / 2025

Committed: Brigham Young U

Current Production: "Four Time" Player of the Week in 2024

What hasn't Park done this year that hasn't already been publicized or mentioned. A two way threat at the plate and on the mound. Park missed a 3rd straight 5 or 7 inning CG No-Hitter last week, when he gave up his lone hit of the week and "only" hit in the past 3 weeks. For the year Park has given a free pass to only 7 batters and struck out 65, while allowing only 18 hits in 38.1 innings pitched. At the plate, the dual threat leads the state of Utah with 43 RBI's, and is hitting .580, with 40 hits, 10 2B's, 3 3B's and 2 HR's. Also his discerning eye at the plate has resulted in a 12 to 9 BB to K out total. With two games to go, with one at Canyon View on Thursday, and their final regular season game at home vs Payson, with Park most likely starting on the mound and hitting for himself, some special numbers are within reach, along with postseason play ahead as well. 

3/13/24

Week One: March 4-10 IP 6.1 H 3 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 SO 12 The BYU commit and two-time Prep Baseball Future Games alum, committed as a SS, but the 3 sport athlete, who will be hanging up the pigskin next fall, to focus on the diamond headed into his senior year. Park has a variety of tools, and playing the MIF, or in the summer roaming the OF, the arm plays at any position, and the arm was on display last weekend on the mound, as Park threw 6.1 inns of shutout ball with 12 K outs vs the defending 5A state champion, the Timpanogos Timberwolves.

2/24/24

Although still a lean, skinny uber projectable frame and build, Park impacted the baseball with added strength compared to last summer, where his high 90’s EV’s, maxed out now at 100.8 at the Preseason All-State and remained easy in doing so. The bat path is direct and flatter with a slight uphill path, that is a natural on-plane path, that when he catches the bottom half of the baseball, the ball shoots to the right and LCF alleys with backspin carry. Not a lofted approach, but one that suggests hard line drive contact with the occasional pull HR power, but the path leans towards using his 6.7/60 speed to leg out 2B’s and 3B’s for his extra base hit power. The glove is still steady and lacks flash of most SS’s, and his hands are soft and quiet out front and makes easy transfers with low to mid 80’s velocity across the diamond. A natural type gazelle running gate, makes Park fun to watch run and the profile and my gut tell me he can be a quality 3B or slide over to the keystone and be a taller offensive 2B base type at the D1 level. The athleticism continues to impress and I really look forward to seeing what type of year 2024 holds for Austin!

Easton Barrett LHP / Springville, UT / 2024

Committed: Arizona State

Current Production: "Two Time" Player of the Week in 2024

Barrett has been slowly rounding into form on the mound after the layoff of a year, due to Tommy John surgery, but making it back in 10 months and now at the year mark, Barrett has already made a handful of appearances of 2-3 innings a piece every Monday and Friday over the past couple of weeks and with his return, his control is starting to round into form, and the walk that plagued him early are now diminishing and the strikeouts are rising. In his last couple of starts, the FB has reached a high of 93 and it's fun to dream as to where he may end up come July and if he is able to position himself, pending signability of course for the MLB 1st Year Player Draft. 

2/24/24

The return of Barrett after 2.5 years in the system after his coming out party at the PBR Future Games in 2021, Barrett injured his arm and subsequently had Tommy John surgery by the Texas Rangers team physician late in the spring of 2023. Less than a year later and cleared for bullpens, Barrett made his return to the Prep Baseball stage and didn’t disappoint! Showing off his 3 pitch advanced mix with the FB/CB and CH, Easton showed a quiet repeatable delivery and still head to point the K zone with 87-90 mph FB’s after sitting 91-93 T94 pre-surgery. It’s not a question as to if he will reach pre-injury status, but when. The CB was sharp with TQ tilted snap depth and the CH showed arm side fade and considerable tailing life. If I was still scouting, this is the type of arm and athleticism I’m looking for after the 10th Rd to pay and send out, if medicals clear to be a steal in the 2024 MLB draft. Moxy, feel and pitch ability are intact with more velo to project and come, as he is far removed from his surgery date. Pre-injury this was a 2-3 rd type arm, that if sign-ability is there, he features the upside of former MLB LHP-Scott Kazmir!

Boston Vest SS / Dixie, UT / 2024

Committed: New Mexico State

8/05/22 Future Games

The son of a former D1 player (Who played for me in college ~ Scott Vest) and his brother Cooper who stars at BYU, so the bloodlines are a plenty! Boston played very well defensively at SS and 3B during the Future Games and made some nice plays, while starting a couple DP’s and some nice tags on runners thrown out at 3B. Boston is a baseball player and was a 4A 1st ™ All-Region/2nd ™ All-State award winner in ‘22 and carried that success into Atlanta. With some hard hit balls on a line, and keeping innings extended with base hits to keep the line moving, Boston is a fundamentally sound player. From a narrow upright setup to hit, he strides forward and pulls his hands back into the stretch/load position, to get separation and takes his hands direct to the plane of the ball and keeps his plane of attack on a flatter plane with the bat, to stay in the zone with the bat head and give himself enough room for error, to spray barreled balls to all fields. Able to cut down his swing and stay back to take what is given and guide the baseball the other way, which you don’t see often in players at 16 yrs old. Boston May not stay at SS at the next level, however I would keep him there as long as possible to keep him at that athletic spot on the diamond, which creates the instincts and baseball IQ to slide over to 2B or 3B and the power is there to be an offensive 2B at the best level and it’s not out of the question, to see his power pot to stick at 3B as well. But colleges should take notice of his baseball IQ, high rate of barrel efficiency and fundamentally sound glove, to provide a winning player at the next level!

Merrick Bostock 3B / Orem High, UT / 2025

UNCOMMITTED

Current Status: "Two Time" Player of the Week in 2024

2/24/24

Bostock came into the event with a noticeable change and improvement to his pre-pitch load at foot strike and it has dramatically improved his swing plane and the efficiency of his overall swing. Instead of a lay back open barrel load, Bostock now get to the MLB logo, 45 degree look and has really tightened up his hand path to the baseball and shortened the overall stroke. With good extension out front, a once “let go” of the top hand, now shows a strong dominant top hand, into a quick and powerful two hand finish past contact. The defense still remains consistent and gobbles up balls with soft hands out front and an efficient easy throwing stroke that doesn’t play big, but gets rid of it quickly and is accurate with his throws. This is my pick to click in ‘24, to have a monster year and jump the board as a result and have D1 teams contacting him soon!

11/03/23

Bostock represented Team Utah at the summer’s PBR Future Games and he remains one of the most interesting uncommitted athletes in the region. Listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Bostock’s right-handed strength resulted in the highest average exit speed (95.5 mph) at the PBR Utah State Games, recording a 100.8 mph max. A report from PBR Utah’s Top Prospect Games (published July 20): “A lean, athletic, physical look, that appears to be still filling out… Has some funk and a different way of hitting, yet has above-average hand/eye to find the barrel with a short compact stroke at contact, and a long through finish. The knack to find the barrel in a quirky way to the naked eye to hit, is fascinating, in that he can hit velo and makes adjustments to offspeed.”

10/29/23

Bostock represented Team Utah at this past summer’s PBR Future Games and he remains one of the most interesting uncommitted athletes in the region. Listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Bostock’s right-handed strength resulted in the highest average exit speed (95.5 mph) at the PBR Utah State Games, recording a 100.8 mph max. A report from PBR Utah’s Top Prospect Games (published July 20): “A lean, athletic, physical look, that appears to be still filling out… Has some funk and a different way of hitting, yet has above-average hand/eye to find the barrel with a short compact stroke at contact, and a long through finish. The knack to find the barrel in a quirky way to the naked eye to hit, is fascinating, in that he can hit velo and makes adjustments to offspeed.”

7/20/23

A lean athletic physical look, that appears to continue filling out, the more I’ve seen him. A tall upright approach to hit, from a semi open stance to hit. High hands and takes his hands higher into his load in an unconventional approach in his setup and overall operation to hit. Lays the barrel open on approach to start the hands towards the baseball. Has some funk and a different way of hitting, yet has abv avg hand/eye to find the barrel in a short compact stroke at contact, and a long through finish. The knack to find the barrel in a quirky way to the naked eye to hit, is fascinating, in that he can hit velo and makes adjs to off speed. With a max EV of 100.6 at the Preseason All-State w/a hand speed of 23.4 and max bat speed of 75.5, gives promise that the hands are hitter-ish. At the Top Prospect Games, the BP was solid as he barreled balls at a 70% hard hit rate, while keeping the plane of the bat in direct contact with the baseball at an 86% rate of accuracy. Defensively needs to work on his footwork and his approach to the baseball. Looks to be a more reactive and instinctive type defender that works better on a corner, where he likes to play side to side and not go get the baseball. Could see a more physical 2B type with the bat or is athletic enough to play an OF corner with the bat his carrying tool.